Fire and Sword: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 1836-39

By Leland Homer Gentry and Todd M. Compton “An invaluable contribution.” — Journal of Mormon History “Fire and Sword’s appearance could not have been more timely.” — The Juvenile Instructor    Available in ebook for Kindle, Nook, Apple, Google Play, and Kobo. Book Description: Many Mormon dreams flourished in Missouri. So did many Mormon nightmares.      The Missouri period--especially from the summer of 1838 when Joseph took over vigorous, personal direction of this new Zion until the spring of 1839 when he escaped after five months of imprisonment--represents a moment of intense crisis in Mormon history. Representing the greatest extremes of devotion and violence, commitment and intolerance, physical suffering and terror--mobbings, battles, massacres, and political “knockdowns”--it shadowed the Mormon psyche for a century.      Leland Gentry was the first to step beyond this disturbing period as a one-sided symbol of religious persecution and move toward understanding it with careful documentation and evenhanded analysis. In Fire and Sword, Todd Compton collaborates with Gentry to update this foundational work with four decades of new scholarship, more insightful critical theory, and the wealth of resources that have become electronically available in the last few years.      Compton gives full credit to Leland Gentry's extraordinary achievement, particularly in documenting the existence of Danites and in attempting to tell the Missourians’ side of the story; but he also goes far beyond it, gracefully drawing into the dialogue signal interpretations written since Gentry and introducing the raw urgency of personal writings, eyewitness journalists, and bemused politicians seesawing between human compassion and partisan harshness. In the lush Missouri landscape of the Mormon imagination where Adam and Eve had walked out of the garden and where Adam would return to preside over his posterity, the towering religious creativity of Joseph Smith and clash of religious stereotypes created a swift and traumatic frontier drama that changed the Church.  Comprehensive Table of Contents: Show/Hide . Preface Introduction Organization of This Study Review of the Literature Contributions of This Study Acknowledgments Addendum Part 1: Settlement 1. Mormons on the American Frontier Early Frontier America Frontier Religion The Westerner: Land and Character Ideological Background Jackson County Attempts at Legal Redress Solutions to the Problem Proposed and Rejected Addendum 2. “Be It Enacted”: The Founding of Caldwell County Clay County Requests the Mormons to “Move On” Plans to Move North Final Decision to Locate in Northern Ray County The Saints Move into Northern Ray County The Establishment of Caldwell County Summary and Conclusion Addendum 3. “Plenty to do”: The Early Growth of Far West and Vicinity The Growth and Settlement of Far West Building Developments at Far West Educational Developments at Far West Business Developments Attempts at Local Government Attempts to Solve Financial Difficulties Efforts to Build a Temple at Far West The Need for Other Settlements Conclusion Addendum 4. “Salt That Has Lost Its Savor”: The Origin, Rise, and Expulsion of the Dissenters The Case of the Presidents in Zion Failure of the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company The Dissenters at Far West Action against the Presidents in Zion The Case of Oliver Cowdery The Case of David Whitmer The Case of Lyman E. Johnson Further Action against the Dissenters Summary and Conclusions Addendum 5. The Prophet in Zion: Spring and Summer, 1838 Smith’s and Rigdon’s Journey to Far West First Presidency Financial Problems The Church’s Financial Difficulties Administrative Problems and Attempts to Solve Them Revelations and Doctrinal Developments Literary Activities Political Activities Sidney Rigdon’s Fourth of July Oration Addendum 6. “A Beautiful Elevated Spot of Ground”: The Settlement of Adam-ondi-Ahman and Dewitt Early Settlements in Daviess County Description of Daviess County Exploration and Settlement in Daviess County Growth and Development of Adam-ondi-Ahman The Significance of Adam-ondi-Ahman The Stone Altar at Adam-ondi-Ahman The Settlement at DeWitt Conclusion Addendum Part 2: Conflict 7. “Knock Down” at Gallatin: Troubles in Daviess and Carroll Counties Warnings before the Battle The “Election-Day Battle” The Visit to Judge Adam Black Reaction in Ray County Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight before Judge King Stolen Government Arms and Their Recovery Temporary Peace in Daviess County The Court of Inquiry in Daviess County Trouble Begins in Carroll County Threatened Outbreak of Hostilities Unheeded Appeals to Civil Authorities The Saints Agree to Depart Aftermath Conclusion Addendum 8. The “Big Fan”: The Role of the Danites Organization of the Danite Band Purposes of the Danite Band The Mormon Concept of the Kingdom of God Danites and the “Armies of Israel” The Danite Constitution Danite Teachings and Practices The Danites and the First Presidency Avard’s History, Character, and Methods Addendum 9. “In the Name of Lazarus, God, and the Lamb, Fire!”: The Daviess County Raid, Battle of Crooked River, and Boggs’s Extermination Order Preparations for War in Daviess County The Mormons Seize the Initiative Stealing and Burning Preparations for War in Caldwell County The Pace Quickens The Battle of Crooked River Governor Boggs’s Extermination Order The Force against the Mormons The Governor’s Actions Considered Addendum 10. “Nits Make Lice”: Massacre at Haun’s Mill The Haun’s Mill Settlement Joseph Smith’s Counsel Disregarded Attempts at Peace and Preparations for Defense The Attack The Flight of the Mormons The Militia Concludes Its Work The Non-Mormon Withdrawal A Scene of Horror and Devastation The Roll Call of the Dead After the Massacre Responsibility for the Massacre Aftermath Conclusion Addendum 11. Surrender at Far West: The Mormon War Concluded Preliminary Action against Far West Events of Tuesday, October 30 Events of Wednesday, October 31 Events of Thursday, November 1 Events of Friday, November 2 The Arrival of General Clark and Its Aftermath The Surrender of Adam-ondi-Ahman The Legal Status of the Troops at Far West General Atchison’s Departure from the Field George M. Hinkle’s “Treason” Alexander Doniphan’s Courageous Insubordination Conclusion Addendum Part 3: Exodus 12. “Where Is Liberty?”: The Richmond Hearing, Imprisonment, and Escape The Stop-over in Independence Imprisonment at Richmond General Clark and the Prisoners The Hearing at Richmond The Alleged Partiality of Judge Austin A. King The Imprisonment at Liberty Jail Attempts to Secure a Formal Trial Attempts at Escape The Grand Jury Trial in Daviess County The Prisoners’ Escape from Missouri The Prisoners at Richmond Summary and Conclusions Addendum 13. “Chased from Everything Dear on Earth”: The Exodus Final Removal from Daviess County Far West Appeals to the Legislature Efforts to Leave the State The Question of Where to Settle Non-Mormon Purchases of Mormon Lands Suffering during the Exodus The Twelve Apostles and the Far West Temple Site Postscript on Far West Addendum 14. Aftermath: Attempts at Investigation and Redress The Question of an Official Investigation Paying the Troops Involved in the Mormon War Publishing the State’s War Documents Criticism and Defense of Boggs and Missouri LDS Attempts to Influence Public Opinion Publications from the Non-Mormon Perspective Seeking Redress from Congress 15. The Mormons in Northern Missouri: Evaluation and Retrospective Addendum Bibliography Index     Praise for Fire and Sword: “Gentry used more thoroughly than any scholar before him the official documents published by the State of Missouri and the U.S. Senate in the aftermath of the Mormons’ departure from the state, which contained the correspondence between Boggs and his militia commanders. . . . Utilizing these sources demonstrated Gentry’s willingness to move beyond ‘traditional’ Mormon interpretive frameworks and seek to understand alternative points of view. Fire and Sword’s appearance could not have been more timely.” — David G, The Juvenile Instructor. “Historians of the Mormon experience have long recognized the invaluable contribution of Leland H. Gentry's path-breaking dissertation.” — Alexander Baugh, Journal of Mormon History About the Authors: Leland H. Gentry, author of the groundbreaking doctoral thesis on which this book is based, and numerous important articles on Mormons in Missouri, received his Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in 1965. He taught for many years in the LDS Church Educational System, in Tooele, Cedar City, Logan, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and opened the first seminary and institute east of the Mississippi, in Ithaca, New York. He married Myrna Miller in 1952; they had five children. He died on August 6, 2007, after a thirty-five-year battle with multiple sclerosis. Todd M. Compton is the author of In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997), which won best book awards from the Mormon History Association and the John Whitmer Historical Association; and Victim of the Muses: Poet as Scapegoat, Warrior, and Hero (Center for Hellenic Studies/Harvard University Press, 2006). With Charles Hatch, he edited A Widow’s Tale: The 1884-1896 Diary of Helen Mar Whitney (Logan: Utah State University Press, 2003), which won the Best Documentary Book award from the Mormon History Association. He works as an ADS Specialist in a law office in the Bay Area, California, and, with his wife, Laura, is the parent of two boys, Zachary and Wesley.  More Information: Pages: 640 ISBN: 978-1-58958-120-3 (Hardcover) Published October 2009